Frosty leaves

Frost on windows from a frosty overnight is enjoyed the next day.

 

 

A frosty one

 

 

Frosty, too

 

No telling what the next frost will look like!

 

Fall and the water

 

Foliage in the river

Another view of fall in the water.  Flipped vertically, of course.

 

 

Fall in the water

 

Crispy clear colors

A reflection can tell more about itself when it is flipped vertically.

Three contrails of four

Changes in the upper atmosphere weather conditions affect the shape, length, and even the presence of contrails. 

 

Three to one to two

The contrail right in back of this airplane shows it is a tri-jet engine.  Those three plumes combine into one, and then open up to two plumes. 

 

Two plumes

This twin jet engine airplane leaves a distinct two plume contrail.

 

 

Another two plumer

As the upper atmosphere weather condition changes, this twin jet engine airplane leaves a shorter two plume contrail.

 

No trail nor plume

With the upper atmosphere having very low humidity, this twin jet engine airplane overflight leaves no contrail.

 

These four flights were seen in the span of about one half of an hour.

Who's eating me (parts 1 and 2)

The common milkweed is a host plant for the monarch butterfly caterpillar.   Other insects feed on it as well - and they can devour the leaves and eat the seeds.

Small Milkweed Bug (Lygaeus kalmii)

A Small Milkweed bug sitting on a milkweed seed pod.  These bugs eat milkweed seeds.

 

 

Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar (Euchaetes egle)

Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars are eating this milkweed leaf; what's left of a devoured one is seen in the lower right corner.

 

 

Gold rush

 

Where did we stay last year?

The bright yellow color of this Spotted Tussock moth caterpillar made it easy to spot as it headed up the fourth step of the porch, looking to find itself an overwintering spot.

The Lophocampa maculata, the Yellow Spotted Tussock moth, is really a Tiger moth.  Those hair tufts on the caterpillar cause it to be called a "tussock moth caterpillar".  This caterpillar has five spots; the fifth one is next to the banding at its rear.

Who lives here?

 

Passing by, a spider web in this fence post catches the eye:

We peek in, and spy:

 

It's a spider.  Oh my! 

 

That may very well be a spider of the Agelenidae (funnel-weaver) family.